I don't think that the UK leaving the EU is a good thing.

[IronEagle]

Our company moved all operations out of the UK years ago. Main offices are all now in switzerland

Are you implying that the UK's membership in the EU had something to do with your company's move? Clarification, please.

I doubt that England is going to get the same deal Switzerland previously negotiated with the EU. And Switerland is in danger of losing their deal as well due to restrictions on immigration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switze...nion_relations

[Riccardo]

Nope just an observation

Are you implying that the UK's membership in the EU had something to do with your company's move? Clarification, please.

I doubt that England is going to get the same deal Switzerland previously negotiated with the EU. And Switerland is in danger of losing their deal as well due to restrictions on immigration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switze...nion_relations

But to your point earlier I doubt their exit would make much difference from a business pov, at least from the big multinationals

[IronEagle]

But to your point earlier I doubt their exit would make much difference from a business pov, at least from the big multinationals

I think if the rest of the EU holds together this will hurt the UK. If the EU disintegrates, all bets are off.

I actually think in many ways my beloved Spain would be better off outside the EU.

If there was no EU, the big thing their citizens would lose is the ability to move to other countries for work. I have a friend who is a physician there. He and his lawyer wife were considering moving to Germany. They both have decent jobs and are fairly wealthy for Spain, but they were concerned about their children's future.

The flip side is that if the Spanish government could control the value of their currency it would make their economic crisis much more manageable. Probably be better for what is left of the middle / working classes.

I believe that it is the wealthier people and countries who have the most to lose here. When you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose.

[Drama Queen]

Bamboozled!

I found this article interesting. Politicians stoking the public's fear for their own purposes is nothing new.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...s-on-migration

This feels like a very awkward moment in British history. I'm fearful the Brits out-punted their coverage.

[JuTMSY4]

this

The flip side is that if the Spanish government could control the value of their currency it would make their economic crisis much more manageable. Probably be better for what is left of the middle / working classes.

This! It's what hurt Greece (among other things) and will continue to hurt less economically mature countries in the EU. Europe forgets the diversity of their block and in attempt to perhaps bring along the weaker ones they cut of their nose to spite their face. They simply aren't as similar as they think.

[TerpEagle]

I think the really bad part is what it signals - nationalism, anti-immigration and maybe just straight up racism. I'm with Ric in terms of the UK determining their own destiny and I can see the economic arguments. But, like Trump in the US, it's really a sign of nationalism and that can be based on very negative reasons.

That may ripple throughout the world.

That's my point regarding the idea of a non-unified Europe. If it a bunch of nationalistic countries in close proximity to each other that have little to keep them together economically, I don't think it's a stretch that it could transfer into conflicts - political/trade/warfare.

Part of the reason that Hamilton wanted the federal government to assume the state's debts after the Revolution was to give each state a stake in the economic success of the nation as a whole. It's obviously not a perfect system, but if the US were to become 50 economically independent States our power and peace would be tenuous at best.